Businessman Jim Mansfield dies after illness

Businessman Jim Mansfield died yesterday at the age of 75. Mr Mansfield, who estimated his own fortune at €1.7 billion in 2007, is best known as the founder of Citywest Hotel, conference and golf complex in south West Dublin.

He had been ill for some time and died yesterday morning in Tassagart House, his Georgian home in Saggart, Co Dublin.

Mr Mansfield’s Citywest hotel had 1,400 rooms, making it the biggest in the country and it had a banqueting hall and conference centre that hosted the official Ryder Cup dinner in 2006.

He fought many battles over the years with local planning authorities as he expanded his empire by often building first and then applying for planning permission later. Among Mr Mansfield's assets in Leinster at the peak of his fortunes were Weston Executive Airport, Palmerstown House, Finnstown House and hundreds of acres of development land.

Christy O'Connor jnr, the Ryder Cup golfer and friend of Mr Mansfield, told The Irish Times from Florida yesterday: "He was a magnificent man. He did get ahead of the law as a developer as he had no patience but he was a doer."

Mr O’Connor said Mr Mansfield left school at 14 but was capable of doing complicated deals in his head. “He was never motivated by money. He liked building things and employing at his peak 1,300 people from the local area he loved.”

“Jim was heart-broken by the downturn,” Mr O’Connor said. “Like so many people he overextended himself when there was too much credit around.”

The golfer said he believed the businessman would have tried to start again if ill-health had not confined him to a wheelchair in his final months. “I spoke with him only recently and he was making small plans,” he said, “He was one hell of a man.”

John Glynn, the former general manager of Citywest, and Noel Smyth, a legal adviser to Mr Mansfield, also praised the businessman yesterday.

Mr Mansfield made his fortune in machinery and notably made £100 million in the early 1980s selling off plant, machinery and scrap left over from the Falklands War. He is survived by his wife Anne and three sons Tony, Jimmy jnr and PJ Mansfield.